The Valentine's Arrangement (5 page)

He ran his hands down her legs stopping at her knees to spread her open so he could settle between them. Yes, the barely there lace that was covering her was doing just as he expected, making his control falter. It’s been so long since he had been with a woman; the need was almost painful, especially with the beauty that was Ronnie spread open before him. But this wasn’t just about him; his need to do things to her body and make her shudder was even more essential.

Kale hooked his fingers on the thin straps that were covering her hips and he eagerly pulled the damned things off.

The sight of her damn near knocked him senseless. She was beautiful.

His mouth was on her in the very next moment. He was relentless with her; stroking her with his tongue, riding it out with her until she was just about there and then pulling back, bringing her down slowly so he could repeat it all over again.

“Kale…fuck…ugh, don’t stop…” Ronnie bit the words out as if each syllable was a strain. Her body was shaking. He knew he had pushed her long enough, and he was dying to have her come undone against his mouth. He slid a finger inside her, finding that same spot that he knew would send her over the edge as he swirled his tongue over her clit.

Her hands flew to his head and her nails dug into his scalp as she trembled against him and screamed out. It was the most perfect moment he has had since he left for the war. Feeling this woman lose herself with him was exactly what he needed.

*****

Holy fucking…that was the single most amazing orgasm she had ever experienced. The urgent way Kale devoured her was mind blowing. It was as if he was starving for her. Brandon never touched her like that. He never made her feel like if he wasn’t with her, he was going to explode. He never made her feel like he couldn’t get enough of her. He sure as fuck never spent the time to make her world spin on its axis. But Kale…he was….he did…fuck he was good; and she only experienced his mouth. What would it be like if he used his body, if he pressed himself inside her? She needed it. The thought made her squirm and a moan rolled out of her mouth.

“Damn, Sweetheart,” Kale said, kissing his way up her stomach, pushing her sweater up with his hands. “You’re still trembling.” He latched onto her waist, slipping his arm underneath her, clinging onto her and pulling her to his chest as he lay down next to her. This simple touch, this simple movement made her body freeze like it was stunned with glacier water.

“Don’t,” she protested, begging her limbs to defrost so she could push him away.

“What?” Kale’s voice was full of concern; it made her stomach drop.

“Don’t hold me. This isn’t…just…don’t.” She finally found some muscles that seemed to be in working form and she moved her body until she was pressed into the corner of the couch.

“I don’t understand”—Kale sat up giving her the space that she so desperately needed— “I thought you were enjoying yourself. I thought you wanted this.” There was an edge to his voice, one that she didn’t understand.

“I—”

“Ronnie?” A voice carried through from the other room.

“Fuck. Jordan—” Ronnie whispered urgently.

Kale leapt from the couch shielding Ronnie with his body. He leaned down, picked her clothes up from the floor, and handed them to her.

“Who? I thought you locked the door?” Kale was firm and unmoving in front of her as she quickly slipped on her pants.

“I did, but that’s the boss’s daughter. She has a key.” Ronnie stood up and stepped into her heels.

Kale’s eyes lowered and his lips turned up on the corners. “Yes, I do prefer those on.”

“Watch it, Soldier.”

“Ronnie, are you still here?” Jordan called out, her voice closer to the design room now and Ronnie was grateful for Jordan’s not so perfect timing.

“Yes!” Ronnie hurried past Kale to the hallway flipping the light on in the design room before damn near running straight into Jordan.

“There you are. What are you doing? Didn’t you hear me?” Jordan asked, jumping a step back.

“Fuck Jordan, you scared the shit out of me. I was re-printing my design. I thought you were coming by at 10:00.”

“It is 10:00,” Jordan said, looking over Ronnie’s shoulder to what she assumed was her freshly aroused Captain America impersonator. Jordan’s barely there blonde eyebrows reached her hairline as she looked from Kale to Ronnie.

“I’m almost done.” Ronnie met Jordan’s eyes like a mountain lion staring down its prey. If Jordan didn’t back the fuck off and drop what Ronnie knew she was about to say, then Ronnie would attack. She was not in the mood for this.

“Okaay.” Jordan dragged the word out and followed Ronnie back to her room. Jordan was one of the only females Ronnie could actually stand to be around. Hell, she was the only female friend Ronnie had for that matter. She was a couple years younger than Ronnie but she was cool as shit. She didn’t pry or gossip or whine like most women. She was real. She was simple; no tattoos, no piercings, her hair was its natural dishwater blonde and her face was rarely covered in makeup other than mascara on her crazy long lashes. She didn’t need any of that shit anyway; she was a natural beauty. Other than the fact she was itty-bitty like her father, you would have never guessed that Harold, the owner of the tattoo shop, was her dad.

“How much longer are you gonna be? I put my heels on just for you and I’m ready to shake my ass. Plus I’ve got Cameron all good and liquored up so he is ready to show us a good time.” Jordan walked in and planted her butt down in one of the chairs in Ronnie’s room.

“Who’s Cameron?” Kale asked, walking in the room after Jordan. There was a slightly territorial tone to his voice that made Ronnie’s heart speed up.

“None of your business,” Ronnie barked, narrowing her eyes at Kale. Who the fuck did he think he was butting into her personal conversation? Just because they had a moment—okay a very hot and sexy moment—in the design room, didn’t mean he could spout out questions whenever he wanted.

“My sexy as hell husband, that’s who!” Jordan squealed. Yes, she actually squealed and Ronnie cringed.

“Newlyweds,” Ronnie said to Kale, feeling the need to explain her friend’s sudden outburst of giddy girliness.

“Ah, enough said,” Kale laughed, and Ronnie couldn’t help but smile. Kale resumed his position against the chair as Ronnie slipped on a clean pair of gloves.

“But seriously, how much longer? I’m sure there’s going to be a mile long line to get into Club Zero if we get there past 11:00 and it’s freezing outside.”

“Okay Jordy, get the fuck out and let me finish then,” Ronnie lashed.

Jordan stood up and grinned sweetly at Ronnie gaining an eye roll from her before she turned and walked out.

*****

“Club Zero, huh?” Kale asked, turning his head slightly to peer at Ronnie from the side.

“Yep,” was the only response she gave him. He wanted to bring up whatever it was that happened in the other room. He wanted to know what was going on in that crazy mind of hers. Just when he thought he had cracked the surface, she revealed a completely new layer.

Ronnie didn’t speak to him, she just pressed the needle to his flesh and worked in silence and he didn’t press her either.

When she was finished, she wiped his back softly and rubbed a thick ointment across his entire back. Her light touch on his raw, angry skin walked the line of pure bliss and pure hell at the same time.

Kale turned toward her when her hands left his body and the illustrious expression that was carved into her face was new, and it made her look even more beautiful. She was completely glowing with satisfaction and joy.

“Alright, Soldier. Take a look,” Ronnie said, handing him a mirror.

Kale lifted the hand mirror so he could see the reflection of his back in the full-length mirror behind her door.

“Wow,” was all he could say.

“Pretty fucking amazing, huh?” Ronnie managed to ask through her smile, one that reached all the way to her eyes.

“For lack of a better word, yeah.” Kale locked eyes with her and watched as she carefully covered up the layer that she let slip through.

He lifted the mirror back up and studied the art that this woman embedded in his flesh. The words of the poem that meant so much to Kale on so many different levels seemed to be buried deep in his skin, straining to be ripped to the surface. It was compelling. It was sad and inspiring and disturbingly beautiful. Just like Ronnie.

Chapter 4

So, who was the hottie?” Jordan asked as Ronnie slid into the cab.

“Just some soldier home on R&R. Sergeant First Class Emerson.” She lowered her voice a few octaves trying to imitate a mocking man’s voice.

Cameron turned around in his seat next to the balding overweight cab driver. “Sergeant Emerson? He’s a kick ass master gunner. He’s in Bravo Company, I think.”

“You know him?” Ronnie asked and she didn’t know why she was suddenly interested in what Jordan’s new husband had to say.

“No, but I’ve heard of him. Amazing leader, people either love him or hate him though. He tells it how it is and doesn’t give a shit who you are. If you‘re wrong, you’re wrong, wouldn’t matter if you were the fucking President of the United States. He takes damn good care of his men too. My buddy, Rodrigo was in his platoon back at Hood.”

That was unexpected. She would have never guessed that clean cut, not a single eyebrow out of place Kale Emerson was one to ruffle the feathers of his chain of command. The fact the real life Captain America wasn’t as by the book as she had first thought, kind of turned her on.

The cab pulled up in front of the club a little before 11:00 and just as Jordan had predicted, there was a line waiting to get in. No way in hell was Ronnie standing outside in this damn weather waiting to get into a club. Fuck no. She would rather just go home.

“Pull up a little closer to the door,” Ronnie told the driver.

He did as she said and Ronnie smiled when she saw the short stocky Mexican man checking IDs. “Let us out here.”

Ronnie opened the door and the freezing night air slammed into her. She grabbed a hold of Jordan’s hand and pulled her and Cameron through the line of people who were cursing at them as they made their way to the front.

“Well, Ronnie Clark. How are ya?” The bouncer smiled a full pearly white, toothy grin. Ronnie tattooed him a few months back after his wife had their first baby. It was one of her favorites, a portrait of his wife holding their newborn son.

“I would be a lot better if I was out of this damn cold ass weather Jose,” she said as she took his hand and he hugged her from the side.

“Go on in,” he said with a smile, letting Ronnie and her friends pass by.

“Thanks Jose,” she hollered back to him.

“Anytime.”

“Let me guess, a client of yours?” Jordan asked as they got their hands stamped inside the door.

“Yep.”

She nudged Ronnie with her shoulder. “You come in handy you know that?”

Ronnie rolled her eyes and made a beeline for the bar. After the evening she just had, she was all for drowning herself in a bottle of self-pity, preferably in the form of Patron.

Ronnie slammed back a shot then picked up her beer and found Jordan who was perched on a bar stool. “Where’s Cameron?” she asked, taking a seat next to her at the table that ran along the perimeter of the dance floor

“He just went to get us some drinks, he’s grabbing you a beer too,” she said, eyeing the one in Ronnie’s hand.

“Good.” Ronnie tipped back the bottle and finished its contents in a few long swigs. She set the now empty bottle down, “I need another one.” She smiled at Jordan who just shook her head.

“It’s gonna be one of those nights, huh?”

“When isn’t it one of those nights?”

Jordan laughed. “Touché.”

Cameron came back with three beers in hand and passed them to the girls. Ronnie took a drink then stood up, the blood rushing through her veins numbed her body slightly and she grinned at the sensation.

“What are you doing?” Jordan giggled as Cameron nuzzled her neck.

“I’m going to dance,” Ronnie said, then she sashayed onto the dance floor.

The music was a mixture of pop techno remixes and rap. She didn’t care what they were playing as long as the music didn’t stop. Getting lost in music held second to Ronnie getting lost in her art; it took her somewhere where she didn’t have to think about anything. Add liquor to the equation and she was good to go.

Her body moved to the beat and she let her mind slip away. She released all the conflicting thoughts she had about Kale and what she let him do to her in the design room, and all thoughts about letting him do it again. She just moved. It was cathartic.

After a few songs, her hair started clinging to the base of her neck and the arches of her feet started to scream, but she didn’t give a damn.

“Well hello,” Jordan said, slipping in next to Ronnie.

Ronnie spun around to face Jordan. “Hello yourself.”

She tried hard to hold in the laugh that was busting at the seams when she saw a not horribly looking, but scrawny, guy attempting to dance behind Jordan. He kept inching closer and just before he grabbed a hold of Jordan’s waist to dance with her, Ronnie grabbed her hand and pulled her away.

“Do you see a ‘take one’ sign plastered on her ass? I didn’t think so. Ask a woman to dance before you just put your damn hands on her. And no, she doesn’t want to fucking dance with you.” The words whipped out of Ronnie’s mouth leaving the young guy blood red in the face as he turned and hurried off the dance floor.

Jordan rolled with laughter. “See, this is why Cameron never cares if I go out with you. Hell, I think guys are more afraid of you than they would be of him anyway.”

“Fucking soldiers,” she barked.

“How do you know he was a soldier?”

“He had an infantry tattoo on his forearm.”

“Leave it to you to pick out tattoos.”

Ronnie just smiled.

After brushing off a few more douche bags that tried to dance with her and Jordan, she grabbed Jordy by the hand and stomped off the dance floor.

“Can’t these guys get a fucking clue and leave us the fuck alone? For fuck’s sake.” She plopped down on the bar stool next to Cameron where he sat holding down the fort.